This invention relates to addition cure silicone polymer compositions. In particular, this invention relates to addition cure silicone polymer compositions comprising a functionalized silicone riesin as an effective adhesion-enhancing additive.
Addition cure silicone adhesives are a commercially important class of adhesives. A typical addition cure composition comprises an alkenyl-group containing organopolysiloxane, an organohydrogenpolysiloxane, and a catalyst. The adhesiveness of these compositions is often improved by addition of one or more adhesion-promoting additives (adhesion promoters). Several U.S. patents, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,996,195, 4,257,936, 4,855,351, 5,405,896, and 5,405,094 describe certain organofunctional silanes and oligosiloxanes usable as adhesion enhancing additives for addition cure silicone adhesives. These compounds are most often organovinyloxysilanes, or cyclic or linear organooligosiloxanes comprising various organic functionalities, such as glycidyl, carbonyl, carbonyloxy, silyloxy or alkoxysilyl groups, as well as optional Si--H functional groups. Such compounds are typically mixed with an addition cure silicone adhesive master batch in ratios in the range of 0.1-10 parts additive to 100 parts master batch. The resulting silicone adhesive can be applied to substrates such as metals, plastics or glass, and cured by exposure to heat. The cured silicon will strongly adhere to the substrates.
There are two major disadvantages of the above-described and other known adhesion promoters. The first is their substrate selectivity. Polycarbonates are an example of substrates to which adhesion is very difficult. The second disadvantage is the negative impact that adhesion promoters have on the cure rate of the adhesive, sometimes slowing cure to commercially unacceptable levels. There is thus a continued need for new adhesion-enhancing additives which will promote adhesion to a wide range of substrates, and which will allow cure at low temperature.